Daire Feeley back on top with victory at Athenry Grand Prix

*Eventual winner Daire Feeley strings out the breakaway, with the damage behind clear to see on what was a wet July evening for racing in the west (Photo: Donal Kelly)*

Daire Feeley looked in great form on the opening weekend of the season back in March, taking 2nd in the Mick Lally and winning the Cycleways Cup the next day, and he has continued in the same way now that racing has begun again.

At the Athenry GP in Co Galway last evening Feeley helped to pile on the pressure and split the race before beating his breakaway companions at the finish to win in what were sodden conditions.

Feeley rode for Continental team EvoPro Racing last year and while the suspension in racing since mid March forced him to keep his powder dry he has wasted no time to scoring another win.

Last night’s race was contested over four laps of a rolling 15km circuit, with the A4s getting a five-minute handicap on the A1-A2 scratch group, while the A3s were given 2½ minutes.

Conor Gath looked lively in flying the flag for the host
club, Galway Bay CC, in the early exchanges; riding away from the A4 group to
claim the primes on the opening two laps.

*Daire Feeley after his win last night; a rider that could so serious damage if we get a clear run at what remain of the domestic season (Photo: Donal Kelly)*

However, the scratch riders ate into the gaps ahead very quickly and on the penultimate lap the race came together, followed by a period of attacking.

However, the winning breakaway did not get clear until
just inside the last 5km, where seven riders gave the rest of the field the
slip and survived to take the prizes.

In the final push to the line it became a two-horse race
between Feeley (VeloRevolution-Strata3) and Charlie Prendergast (Castlebar CC),
with Feeley getting the verdict over the Mayo man.

The other breakaway riders took the next five placings on the night; Richard Meaney (Covey Wheelers) rounding out the podium from Conn McDunphy (CC Nogent Oise).